Sima Kustanovich, M.Mus.

Biography

Sima Kustanovich is one of the Northeast's most sought after pianists. Hailed by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette for the "extraordinary intensity and brilliance of her playing," she concertizes in some of the most acclaimed international venues, including France's Courchevel Chamber Music Festival, N.Y.'s BargeMusic, Toronto's Royal Conservatory Chamber Music Series, Niagra on the Lake Music Festival, Summit Festival, Sweden's St. Jacob's Cathedral, Hungary's Matthias Cathedral, Praha's Hlahol and major cities of Russia, Austria, Italy and Estonia. In 1990 she was the recipient of a rare invitation to perform on Steinway & Sons 470,000th piano that toured the United States from coast to coast.

Through mastery of the keyboard repertoire equipped Ms. Kustanovich with a richly varied career. Cited as the "consummate musician" (Worcester Telegram), she is equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, collaborating with such ensembles as the Borodin String Quartet. She received a Masters in Music from the St. Petersburg Conservatory; she then joined its faculty and accepted a coveted appointment to the famed Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater, working intensively with such luminaries as Mikhail Baryshnikov and Natalia Makarova.

A recipient of the Telegram & Gazette's 1995 prestigious Visions 2000 Cultural Enrichment Award, Ms. Kustanovich has won many grants and commendations for community contributions as performer and program administrator.

An esteemed teacher, she is on the faculties at Clark University, where she was appointed as Distinguished Artist in 2008 and Walnut Hill School for Performing Arts.

She is Co-Founder/Administrator of the Commonwealth Competition for Young Pianists, Music Director of Brown Bags for Kids at Mechanics Hall, and Founder/Director of the NeighborhoodMusic Program sponsored by Clark University.